HGTV-showchip-love-it-or-list-itWhen we first moved in 2008 to this pretty spacious three bedroom, one bathroom, one living room, no dining room apartment, we were a family of three and I couldn’t wait to get our life started here. We were just moving from living in my mother-in-law’s apartment downstairs, using only one room.

Now up here we will be able to have a bedroom, our daughter would have her own room and we would have one room left over for an office. That was just what we needed at the time.

When we first moved up, when had no furniture, except our bedroom furniture. I remember just sitting on the living room floor to watch television. We didn’t have a refrigerator either, nor very much money.

I remember God provided what we needed piece by piece, sometimes at no cost and other times at very little cost. My mother-in-law had a friend selling her living room set and we got it for $200, we learned of someone else selling their fridge and we got it for only $75. More and more, this apartment became a home, we added a dining room table and chairs, two aquariums, one piano (we got that for free) and other little amenities.

Our family continued to grow and evolve in this apartment. I had a baby boy in 2009, then had another in 2011 (but he went to heaven). I started to homeschool my daughter, while being pregnant again in 2012, had a baby and continued homeschooling in 2013. Then continued to homeschool, got pregnant and had another baby in 2014. Now six years after we first moved in, our family dynamic has changed immensely and this apartment struggles to fill our needs efficiently.

So, that is the background story. If you were wondering why I named this post “My Love it or List it Life” and recognized the term “Love it or List it” from a show you may or may not have watched on t.v. Yes, this title was inspired by the show.

What is the show about? Families whose family home are not functioning well for them anymore call in a Real Estate Agent name David and a Designer name Hilary. David looks for a new home for the family and Hilary fixes up some parts of their old home, and at the end of the episode, the homeowners have to decide whether they are going to stay or list it and buy a new house. Now you see the connection.

Sometimes, I feel as though God confirms things for me through television. Many times in my life I have stumbled on to a show that somewhat relates to what season I am at in my life. So I stumbled unto this show by accident over the summer and watched a couple of episodes. Then October last year, while waiting to be checked in the hospital to induce Labor (nine days overdue), there was a “Love it or List it” marathon on t.v.

Now back home, after we took out our t.v and cable, we watch shows on our computer and have a Netflix account, “Love it or List it” is one of the very few t.v shows that interest me on Netflix.

Each episode has this formula. They shows us, the viewers, why the home is not functioning for the family anymore. Then Hilary and David meet with the homeowners who gave them each a list of needs they have to fill for them to either stay or list. After David and Hilary look at the house, they each receive their budget from the homeowners, which it not ever really quite big enough to fulfill their complete list, especially renovations.

David shows them houses they both hate, then a final house they’d absolutely fall in love with, Hilary’s Contractor would inform her of unexpected complications with the house and she’d have to cut one or two things from the list. The homeowners get angry and/or disappointed but she surprises them in the end by creating a fabulous design for the things on the list she could do. It’s fun to watch, except for the fact that each episode has the same formula each time.

Nevertheless, back to my “Love it or List it” life. Here is how our home is not functioning for our needs anymore. First of all, our home is not just a place to eat, sleep, clean-up, watch t.v and go, as it is for most families who have two working parents who go out to work every day and children who go to “school in the building,“ as we call it. Our home, is also our place of work (we own a business) and school (we homeschool), I have two children of school age- Third–Grade and Kindergarten and two under two, an 18 month old ( who pulls at everything, climbs and has a very high reach) and a 3 month old.

We do laundry in a dark, cold (not heated), dreary unfinished basement, but believe it or not, that’s a step up from where we were. For years, I prayed for a washer and dryer, so that I wouldn’t have to lug all that laundry to a laundromat (especially during winter).We don’t have a vehicle, by the way. So having my own washer and dryer is a blessing despite their location.

I sometimes sit in this basement for a few minutes or many more and imagine what this room would look like if we had the money to renovate it (we’d need a lot of money-it needs a lot of work). It would be a very useful room.

My kids are little artist and are always doing art projects on our little kitchen table. When it was only my oldest child painting, drawing, cutting and gluing that little table was enough. Now that I have two little artist, I’m force to get creative with the use of space. I use to find places to put artwork to dry. Now I have to put them on the folding table in the basement.

Did I mention my 18 month old son is capable of pushing our Kitchen table out of the way, when he is ready to leave the table? He is also capable of reaching very far on the table, which forces us to put our meals as far away from him as we can, which is two inches away from the edge of the table.

They are other challenges, like our heater has started to make a painful ear wrenching noise when we turn it on, my husband say it doesn’t bother him too much, but it drives me crazy. The pipes in the bathroom drip, even though my husband has tried to fix them a few times and more things are just falling apart.

Here’s the deal. I know others have to deal with so much worse than that, and the fact of the matter is I have a lot to be thankful for, like having a home (whether it’s too small or not), food (even though we have to eat from the edge of the table), water (even if the pipes drip), heat (with or without the dreadful noise), you get my point.

Here is what we need or would like to make our situation more manageable and comfortable. We need an extra bedroom, a play room/school room, and a dining room, along with the two bedrooms and office we already have. God may be opening that door, will tell you how in part two of this blog series. To be posted soon.

Comment, if you found this post interesting. I would love to know your “Love it or List it” story?

 

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